| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." | 1Once Jesus was praying in a certain place. After he had finished, one of his disciples told him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." |
| 2So he said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. | 2So he told them, "Whenever you pray you are to say, 'Father, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come. |
| 3Give us each day our daily bread, | 3Keep giving us every day our daily bread, |
| 4and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation." | 4and forgive us our sins, as we forgive everyone who sins against us. And never bring us into temptation.'" |
| 5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, | 5Then he told them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. |
| 6because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.' | 6A friend of mine on a trip has dropped in on me, and I don't have anything to serve him.' |
| 7Then he will reply from inside, 'Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.' | 7Suppose he answers from inside, 'Stop bothering me! The door is already locked, and my children are here with us in the bedroom. I can't get up and give you anything!' |
| 8I tell you, even though the man inside will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man's sheer persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. | 8I tell you, even though that man doesn't want to get up and give him anything because he is his friend, he will get up and give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. |
| 9"So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. | 9So I say to you: Keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened for you, |
| 10For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. | 10because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened. |
| 11What father among you, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? | 11What father among you, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead of the fish? |
| 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? | 12Or if he asks for an egg, would he give him a scorpion? |
| 13If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" | 13So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who keep asking him!" |
| 14Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute began to speak, and the crowds were amazed. | 14Jesus was driving a demon out of a man who was unable to talk. When the demon had gone out, the man began to speak, and the crowds were amazed. |
| 15But some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons, he casts out demons." | 15But some of them said, "He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." |
| 16Others, to test him, began asking for a sign from heaven. | 16Others, wanting to test Jesus, kept asking him for a sign from heaven. |
| 17But Jesus, realizing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and a divided household falls. | 17Since he knew what they were thinking, he told them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is devastated, and a divided household collapses. |
| 18So if Satan too is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? I ask you this because you claim that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. | 18Now, if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? After all, you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. |
| 19Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. | 19If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers drive them out? That is why they will be your judges! |
| 20But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has already overtaken you. | 20But if I drive out demons by the power of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. |
| 21When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are safe. | 21"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own mansion, his property is safe. |
| 22But when a stronger man attacks and conquers him, he takes away the first man's armor on which the man relied and divides up his plunder. | 22But when a stronger man than he attacks and defeats him, the stronger man strips off that man's armor in which he trusted and then divides his plunder. |
| 23Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. | 23"The person who isn't with me is against me, and the person who doesn't gather with me scatters." |
| 24"When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest but not finding any. Then it says, 'I will return to the home I left.' | 24"Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry places looking for a place to rest but doesn't find any. So it says, 'I will go back to my home that I left.' |
| 25When it returns, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. | 25When it gets back home, it finds it swept clean and put in order. |
| 26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first." | 26Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all go in and settle there. And so the final condition of that person is worse than the first." |
| 27As he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!" | 27As Jesus was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and told him, "How blessed is the womb that gave birth to you and the breasts that nursed you!" |
| 28But he replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!" | 28But he said, "Instead, how blessed are those who hear God's word and obey it!" |
| 29As the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. | 29Now as the crowds continued to throng around Jesus, he went on to say, "This people living today are an evil generation. It craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah, |
| 30For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation. | 30because just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation. |
| 31The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon--and now, something greater than Solomon is here! | 31The queen of the south will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look, something greater than Solomon is here! |
| 32The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them--and now, something greater than Jonah is here! | 32The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look, something greater than Jonah is here!" |
| 33"No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. | 33"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hiding place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see its light. |
| 34Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased, your body is full of darkness. | 34Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when it's evil, your body is full of darkness. |
| 35Therefore see to it that the light in you is not darkness. | 35Therefore, be careful that the light in you isn't darkness. |
| 36If then your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark, it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you." | 36Now if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays." |
| 37As he spoke, a Pharisee invited Jesus to have a meal with him, so he went in and took his place at the table. | 37After Jesus had said this, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. So Jesus went and took his place at the table. |
| 38The Pharisee was astonished when he saw that Jesus did not first wash his hands before the meal. | 38The Pharisee was surprised to see that he didn't first wash before the meal. |
| 39But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. | 39But the Lord told him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of greed and evil. |
| 40You fools! Didn't the one who made the outside make the inside as well? | 40You fools! The one who made the outside made the inside, too, didn't he? |
| 41But give from your heart to those in need, and then everything will be clean for you. | 41So give what is inside to the poor, and then everything will be clean for you. |
| 42"But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, rue, and every herb, yet you neglect justice and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others. | 42"How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, spices, and every kind of herb, but you neglect justice and the love of God. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others. |
| 43Woe to you Pharisees! You love the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces! | 43How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You love to have the places of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplaces. |
| 44Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it!" | 44How terrible it will be for you! You are like unmarked graves—people walk on them without realizing it." |
| 45One of the experts in religious law answered him, "Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too." | 45Then one of the experts in the Law told him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us, too." |
| 46But Jesus replied, "Woe to you experts in religious law as well! You load people down with burdens difficult to bear, yet you yourselves refuse to touch the burdens with even one of your fingers! | 46Jesus said, "How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law, too! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, yet you don't even lift a finger to ease those burdens. |
| 47Woe to you! You build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. | 47How terrible it will be for you! You build monuments for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them! |
| 48So you testify that you approve of the deeds of your ancestors, because they killed the prophets and you build their tombs! | 48So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors, because they killed those for whom you are building monuments. |
| 49For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' | 49That is why the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles. They will kill some of them and persecute others,' |
| 50so that this generation may be held accountable for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, | 50so those living today will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that was shed since the foundation of the world, |
| 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. | 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who died between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation! |
| 52Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken away the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were going in." | 52How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn't go in yourselves, and you kept out those who were trying to go in." |
| 53When he went out from there, the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to oppose him bitterly, and to ask him hostile questions about many things, | 53As Jesus was leaving, the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely, interrogating him about many things. |
| 54plotting against him, to catch him in something he might say. | 54They watched him closely in an effort to trap him in something he might say. |
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